The present application relates to security systems. More particularly, the system relates to a security system including tags that are attached to a person or article.
Security systems are often utilized to protect persons and/or articles from unauthorized movement or theft. Security systems can utilize an active or passive tag that is attached to a person or article. In one exemplary application, tags are secured to infants or other patients to prevent their removal from locations within the medical facility without authorization.
The possible abduction of an infant or child from medical facilities, such as hospitals, other medical structures, temporary housing and other restricted areas has created a significant demand for monitoring systems which signal any unwarranted movement of the infant or child from the assigned environment or area. The standard method used heretofore, such as visitor passes, monitoring cameras, and standard door monitors have not provided the necessary protection against such unwarranted movement of personnel, and particularly an infant or child, from an assigned or restricted area. Hospitals and like facilities are thus continuously looking for improved systems which will essentially prevent unwarranted movement and abduction of an infant or child, thereby maintaining a very safe and secure environment for the infants and other such personnel. The systems and methods may, of course, be applied to other persons or objects and other security applications.
Conventional infant security systems, such as SafePlace® Solution manufactured by RF Technologies, Inc., assignee of the present application, include an RF tag that is secured to the monitored infant via a band. The RF tag communicates with receivers located throughout a restricted area. The receivers are responsive to the RF tag and can be coupled to one or more controllers. The controllers can lock or otherwise control an egress or ingress (such as a door, hall, elevator, or the like) to the restricted area in response to the signal from the RF tag. The receivers can also provide an alarm or provide a signal to an alarm controller or central station (e.g., a nurses' station). The receivers are generally mounted to a wall, ceiling, or other similar locations and are hard wired to a controller or communicate wirelessly with the controller and/or nurses' station.
Generally, the RF tag can be removed from the infant by cutting or breaking the band. The RF tag generally includes a tamper alarm that provides a signal or alarm if the band is cut by detecting a current that flows through the band. When the band is cut or removed, an open band condition is detected and a signal to the central station or an alarm is produced
Tags are banded snugly to the infant to prevent them from slipping off an infant's ankle or wrist. However, transmitters can slip off the ankle or wrist or otherwise be removed without cutting the band. Newborn infants can lose water weight six to eighteen hours after birth, and this loss of weight may allow the band and transmitter to slip off the ankle or wrist. Most hospitals have instructed nurses to check and adjust the band for the proper tension every time they handle an infant as part of standard operating procedures. Facilities using current systems can create reminders in the software to adjust the infant band at 1-24 hours after initial banding. However, since this process may not be practical for all facilities, the need still exists for an alarm that indicates when a tag slips off, is cut, or otherwise removed.
Thus, there is a need for a security system that more effectively detects when an RF tag has been removed, intentionally or unintentionally, from a person or object. There is also a need to detect when a tag has been removed from a person or object without significant false alarms.
Further, there is a need for a banding material for RF tags that is optimized for use for persons such as infants. Still further, there is a need for circuits, software, or combinations thereof that detect the removal of a tag from an person. Yet further, there is a need for an algorithm that utilizes several characteristics to determine whether a tag unit has been removed, intentionally or unintentionally from a person or object and provides an alarm indication or message.